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Our Journey

I started this blog to help advocate for gifted children and I still do and plan to continue, but along the way I realized how much Madison has evolved and changed. This blog helps me realize how far we have come as well as connect with others and for that I am truly blessed.

I knew Madison was gifted at a very young age, because I knew she was different. I googled how she was different in her behavior, her emotions and intellect and they all pointed back to being gifted.

When she was in Kindergarten her anxiety was off the charts and it was noticed. By the time First Grade came she had much less anxiety, but was miserable. At that point I requested she be tested. I actually requested it within the first week, but it was better to wait for a couple of weeks for her to adjust to being back at school.

I thought by having her tested it would help her. It would provide the resources she needed. Even though she topped out of her CogAT test, it did not matter. She qualified for Mensa at the age of 6, so she joined and I thought I would find support there. I did, but not the kind that would help in her in school.

She was being coined by her teacher and documented as inattentive, defiant, immature, etc. so I had her privately tested by a psychologist that understood giftedness. She checked out for one section of the test which was noted, but still did extremely well. I had a written recommendation for her educational needs and it was included in the report that she wasn’t inattentive, difiant, etc., in the testing environment, but that didn’t matter. She was already coined a problem child. That was clear. And she may have very well have been all of those things in that specific school environment, but she hasn’t been anywhere else since then.

Madison begged me for a year to pull her and homeschool, so I did. We planned on sending her to a private school. She passed the entrance screenings and was accepted and placed on a waiting list. When a spot opened up she decided she didn’t end to go and that she wanted to continue homeschooling.

As I look back on how Madison has evolved in every way, it is amazing.

Do I wish I could do it all over again and not have put her through the two years of public school that I did? Absolutely, but at the same time, I think she values homeschooling even more because she knows the alternative and she never wants to go back to it. Everything that happened was a blessing in disguise and it has worked out for the best. Thank goodness!

Soon I will update the ‘about me’section of this blog because it doesn’t represent what we have evolved into or how far she has come. Most importantly it doesn’t state how she regained her love for learning which was our ultimate goal.

I did want to take a moment and address the perceived ‘issue’ of socialization. I really haven’t before. Here’s my take on it from seeing both sides of public school and homeschooling. Homeschoolers get a ton of socialization and it’s more realistic. What I mean by that, is that homeschoolers get together all the time in large groups, go on field trips and have co-ops. Homeschool kids also take classes as well. The difference between when homeschoolers get together versus being in a class at public school is that the majority of homeschooled children learn what is acceptable and what isn’t from experiences and values versus having to follow very specific rules. They make decisions based on learning right from wrong, not because they have to due to consequences, but because they want to. They also know to follow rules and how to sit and learn when they need to by taking classes and being part of activities that require them to. They don’t just sit in a house alone all day learning. Homeschoolers get more ‘real world’ and (are you ready for this) ‘workforce ready’ socialization than kids in public school do. Hands down.

Madison actually followed rules much better and sat and listened much better after we started homeschooling versus when she was in public school. I firmly believe it is because she wasn’t stuck in a classroom all day learning off of an iPad or textbook or being told what to do every second of every day.

I could have tried different options, but I knew in my heart that she needed this and I am glad that I listened. I am glad that I read everything I could and followed blogs and Facebook pages of those that had the knowledge, experience and insight I needed to make the best decisions for Madison.

I want to share those blogs so that others can learn on their journey as well.